Named for the Roman god of war, month-wise, March shows a checkered past and offers a mottled future. Julius Caesar was stabbed on the Ides of March. Despite this timing, the month of July—and not the salad—remains his principal namesake. March has emerged as the center of the U.S. collegiate basketball universe. This month an annual bracketed tournament for 68 teams will crown a national champion through competitive elimination, aptly dubbed “March Madness.” On the religious front, Easter sometimes occurs as early as March 22, and Passover often begins in March. Weather-wise, March is the first month of spring. As to festivities, it’s the month when Americans celebrate National Nutrition, Women’s History, Fire Prevention, the American Red Cross, and—on March 17—St. Patrick’s Day.